Bicycle Safety

A Bicycle Helmet is headgear that is especially made to protect your head in a fall. Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 percent. Most deaths related to bicycle falls and collisions involve head injuries. This means wearing a helmet can save your life!

A fall can happen even to the most careful rider. Bicycle crashes don't only happen in the street, they can happen in driveways, on bike paths, and on sidewalks or anywhere someone is careless. It's as important to wear a helmet as it is to buckle up in a car!

Wear a helmet every time you ride a bike. You never know when something will happen.

Do you really need to wear a bicycle helmet?

Yes. Each year, bicycle-related deaths number about 900, and hospital emergency rooms treat more than 500,000 people for bicycle-related injuries. More children, ages 5 to 14, go to hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with bicycles than with any other sport. Many of these injuries involve the head. If you do not wear a bicycle helmet, you are risking your life.

The State of Maine now requires all persons under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle helmet when riding in public ways.

Important Helmet Information

Wear a helmet that is made specifically for bicycling and approved by ASTM, CSA or Snell. Never substitute a hockey or baseball helmet for a cycling helmet. A cycling helmet is made to absorb a crash differently. It is designed to shatter on impact and soften the blow to your head.

If you have been in an accident and your helmet has been hit, don't use it again. Once your helmet has been in an accident, small invisible cracks can weaken its shell and the foam can get crushed. Buy a new helmet!